Medicines in School

Parents have the prime responsibility for their child’s health and should provide the school with information about their child’s medical condition before the child is admitted, or when they first develop a medical need. We expect parents to keep children at home if they are unwell, and to notify the school. If we feel that they are unwell whilst they are at school we will request that they are picked up.

We are unable to administer short-term medication (such as antibiotics). In this instance, parents should give the medication before or after the school day, or make arrangements to come at lunch time. Such medication may not be stored at school and may not be given to the child to look after. Other than inhalers, children are not allowed to administer medication themselves.

Children may not bring any non-prescription medication to school (e.g. cough ‘sweets’, vitamin tablets or travel sickness pills). Staff will never give any non-prescription medicine to a child. This includes applying antiseptic cream to cuts and giving pain-killers. Children do not need to bring sun cream to school and staff do not apply it, but parents should apply it before school. When the sun is strong, children are only taken outside for short periods at a time, encouraged to wear hats and drink plenty and are provided with shade where possible.

Long-term medication requirements

Please discuss long-term medical needs with the teacher or Headteacher at the earliest opportunity so that we can make arrangements. e.g. severe allergies, long-term regular day-time medication, asthma, epilepsy, diabetes etc. Prescribed medication should only be brought to school when essential, and where it would be detrimental to the child’s health if the medication were not administered during the school day. In such cases, the school will only accept prescribed medication, in its original labelled packaging. This will be administered by a named member of staff, on receipt of a signed consent form from parents. Medication will be stored in the school office, and must be delivered to and collected from there by the parent/carer and not given to the child to transfer. It is the responsibility of the parents to replace any medicine (including epipens) which is approaching its expiry date. Parents of children with severe or complex medical conditions will complete an individual health care plan showing emergency contact details and the protocol for an emergency situation. All staff are made aware of children with severe allergies.

Educational visits

Any medication usually taken in school under the above guidelines will be taken on educational visits by the lead member of staff (e.g. epipens & inhalers). Children are not given responsibility for their medication off-site. School staff will not administer travel sickness tablets for a single day off-site visit. Please discuss any other questions with the class teacher.

For full details please read our Medicines in School policy in the School Policy section.